Refreshing Aperol Tonic Cocktail

Aperol is a classic Italian bitter apéritif with a delightful orange hue. We always have it during our trips to Italy, and it slowly became a preferred summer drink during evening gatherings and BBQs.

We tried and tested several versions of Aperol cocktails and came to the conclusion that Aperol tonic is by far the best way to enjoy Aperol. Although Aperol itself is bitter, it feels a little too sweet to my taste. You can enjoy the underlying rhubarb flavours but even after adding dry Prosecco and citrusy oranges, the Aperol is not refreshing enough for me.

Given that I love the bitterness of Gin & Tonic and the sourness of Classic Margaritas, you can see why sweet alcohol is not necessarily my favourite. But there is a way you can achieve the best Aperol cocktail you can imagine: Aperol Tonic. Instead of adding soda water, add tonic water, with quinine in it. The bitterness of the quinine will counteract the sweetness of the Aperol. Together with the dry Italian Prosecco, you will have a recipe for success.

And it's not just my husband and I who enjoy Aperol Tonic but all our friends and family are now convinced Aperol with Tonic is a must better option.

How to make Aperol Tonic (different ways)

As with many cocktails, Aperol Tonic can be tweaked for your own liking. I'm first giving you my winning recipe which I think it's the best version for Aperol Tonic. It's well balanced, not too sweet, not too bitter, has thyme it in because I think thyme and orange work best and it contains classic dry Italian Prosecco. You will also notice that my Aperol Tonic has no ice cubes in it. That's because we prefer a refreshing Aperol Tonic with chilled tonic water and Prosecco rather than diluted by ice cubes.

For version 1 of Aperol Tonic you will need:

• 100 ml Aperol
• 150 ml dry Italian Prosecco
• ~180-200 ml zero sugar tonic water
• 1 slice of orange
• 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme

For version 2 of Aperol Tonic:

• 100 ml Aperol
• 150 ml dry Italian Prosecco
• ~150 ml naturally light tonic water (still has some sugar)
• 1 slice of orange
• 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Rosemary works really well with Aperol but I prefer the refreshing taste of thyme. You can try it with both and let us know which one you prefer.

Version 3 of Aperol Tonic:

• 100 ml Aperol
• 150 ml dry sparkling wine or champagne
• ~180-200 ml tonic water
• 1 slice of orange
• 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
• a handful of ice cubes

Version 3 contains ice cubes and dry sparkling wine or champagne. What is the difference? Prosecco is a white wine produced in a large area spanning nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions and named after the village of Prosecco. Prosecco is made from Prosecco grape (renamed Glera in 2009).

Prosecco is almost always made in sparkling or semi-sparkling style (spumante and frizzante, respectively), but a still wine (tranquillo) can also be found.

Sparkling wine is essentially is a fizzy white, red or rose wine. Champagne on the other hand, comes from Champagne in France and the term cannot be used by any other sparkling wine producer.

So when picking the type of sparkling wine you want in your Aperol you are essentially picking a preferred region and grape. Since Aperol is an Italian drink, we believe it marries perfectly with Prosecco. And since Prosecco is not usually drunk with ice cubes, we prefer our Aperol tonic without.

The beauty of taking a classic cocktail and adding a spin to it is that you can get the creative freedom to come up with something new and exciting, which is perfectly tailored for your taste. We hope you will take one of the above versions of Aperol Tonic, try it and make it ideal for your own summer nights.

Which version of Aperol Tonic did you pick? Let us know in the comments section below.

This recipe has been developed entirely by Yuzu Bakes. Any resemblance with other recipes is purely coincidental.

Aperol Tonic

5

Average: 5 (3 votes)

• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins
• Total: 5 mins
• Serves 1 person

Categories: Beverage Cusine: Italian

Description

This quick and easy cocktail recipe is for making refreshing Italian Aperol Tonic. A twist to the original, this version of Aperol Tonic is the perfect cocktail for summer nights. Enjoy it with fresh oranges and zero tonic water.

Ingredients

(USA / Metric)

• 3 1/2 fl oz aperol
• 5 fl oz prosecco
• 6 fl oz tonic water (or a little more if you want a fuller glass)
• 1 slice orange
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 handful ice cubes (optional)

Instructions

• 1. Chill the Prosecco and the tonic water.
     
     Prepare your cocktail glasses. Add 100ml Aperol per glass. Gently pour 150 ml Prosecco over the Aperol. Top up with 150-200 ml zero tonic water. Decorate with one slice of fresh orange and one or two sprigs of fresh thyme.
  2. Serve immediately and enjoy your Aperol Tonic.

Notes

You can add ice cubes to your cocktail if you prefer. We omitted ice from this recipe simply because we prefer the Aperol Tonic without ice cubes.
The original recipe calls for Italian Prosecco. You can also use white Sparkling wine or Champagne. They should be dry!
We recommend using zero tonic water from Schweppes simply because it has zero calories. You can also use the Refreshingly white tonic water from Fever-Tree but it does contain some sugars still.

Nutritional Information

Total Nutrition Facts

Serves 1 person

Amount Per Serving
Calories 432
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0 g			0%
	Saturated Fat 0 g		0%
	Trans Fat 0 g		0%
	Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
	Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg			0%
Sodium 31 mg			1%
Total Carbs 57 g			21%
	Dietary Fiber 1 g		2%
	Sugar 54 g		108%
Protein 0 g			1%
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 13% Calcium 2% Iron 4% Vitamin D 0% Magnesium 5% Potassium 3% Zinc 4% Phosphorus 5% Thiamin (B1) 2% Riboflavin (B2) 2% Niacin (B3) 2% Vitamin B6 6% Folic Acid (B9) 0% Vitamin B12 0% Vitamin E 0% Vitamin K 0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice

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